Consumption of dietary caffeine and coffee in physically active populations: physiological interactions.

Caffeine is a proven ergogenic aid, increasing athletic performance, endurance, and mental chronometry at doses as low as 1–3 mg·kg–1. As coffee is a readily available and commonly ingested form of caffeine, the two are often equated. However, coffee also contains hundreds of other biologically active compounds, many of which are metabolically distinct from caffeine. The purpose of this review was to examine the prevalence of coffee and (or) caffeine consumption among elite Canadian athletes, and to delineate the effects of coffee and caffeine on physical activity, weight maintenance, performance, and metabolism. A total of 270 self-reported 3-day food records were examined for caffeine intake from athletes registered with Canadian Sport Centres in 2005 and 2006. Athletes ranged in age from 16–45 years, and competed in 38 different sports. Results showed that 30% of athletes ingested >1 mg·kg–1·day–1 from a variety of sources. Average daily intake was 0.85 ± 13 mg·kg–1. Caffeine intake was not correlated ...